2013 In Review: The defining moments

One-year-old AAP had made an electrifying debut in Delhi elections winning 28 seats in the 70-member assembly and decimating

One-year-old AAP had made an electrifying debut in Delhi elections winning 28 seats in the 70-member assembly and decimating Congress which bagged only eight seats. Arvind Kejriwal had announced formation of AAP on October 2, the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, last year and it was formally launched on November 26 coinciding with the anniversary of India's adoption of its Constitution in 1949.

One-year-old AAP had made an electrifying debut in Delhi elections winning 28 seats in the 70-member assembly and decimating Congress which bagged only eight seats. Arvind Kejriwal had announced formation of AAP on October 2, the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, last year and it was formally launched on November 26 coinciding with the anniversary of India's adoption of its Constitution in 1949.

Actor Sanjay Dutt has been held guilty under the Arms Act for illegal possession of an AK-56 rifle before the 1993 Mumbai bomb blasts, which killed 257 people

Actor Sanjay Dutt has been held guilty under the Arms Act for illegal possession of an AK-56 rifle before the 1993 Mumbai bomb blasts, which killed 257 people. The designated court did not find him guilty under the anti-terror law, TADA, and had declared that he was not a terrorist. The Supreme Court upheld his conviction, but brought down his original six-year sentence to five years. In May, when he surrendered, he had spent over 18 months in prison and now has a little over three years to serve.

Actor Sanjay Dutt has been held guilty under the Arms Act for illegal possession of an AK-56 rifle before the 1993 Mumbai bomb blasts, which killed 257 people. The designated court did not find him guilty under the anti-terror law, TADA, and had declared that he was not a terrorist. The Supreme Court upheld his conviction, but brought down his original six-year sentence to five years. In May, when he surrendered, he had spent over 18 months in prison and now has a little over three years to serve.

After a nine-month-long trial, fast track court on handed down death penalty to all the four convicts in the Nirbhaya gang rape and murder case

After a nine-month-long trial, fast track court on handed down death penalty to all the four convicts in the Nirbhaya gang rape and murder case. The court while pronouncing the judgment said that "it cannot turn a blind eye on the rising cases of sexual assualt against women" and that the incident shook the "collective conscience of the society". The court said the case falls under rarest of rare category.

After a nine-month-long trial, fast track court on handed down death penalty to all the four convicts in the Nirbhaya gang rape and murder case. The court while pronouncing the judgment said that "it cannot turn a blind eye on the rising cases of sexual assualt against women" and that the incident shook the "collective conscience of the society". The court said the case falls under rarest of rare category.

Actress Jiah Khan was found dead in her Juhu apartment on June 3 this year. According to the police, she hung herself from the ceiling fan in her room. Jiah's mother Rabia Khan, who has all along maintained that her daughter did not commit suicide, demanded that her body be exhumed and re-examined. The Juhu police had arrested Jiah's boyfriend Sooraj for a week after her death. He was released on July 2 after the Bombay High Court granted him bail

Actress Jiah Khan was found dead in her Juhu apartment on June 3 this year. According to the police, she hung herself from the ceiling fan in her room. Jiah's mother Rabia Khan, who has all along maintained that her daughter did not commit suicide, demanded that her body be exhumed and re-examined. The Juhu police had arrested Jiah's boyfriend Sooraj for a week after her death. He was released on July 2 after the Bombay High Court granted him bail. ()

Actress Jiah Khan was found dead in her Juhu apartment on June 3 this year. According to the police, she hung herself from the ceiling fan in her room. Jiah's mother Rabia Khan, who has all along maintained that her daughter did not commit suicide, demanded that her body be exhumed and re-examined. The Juhu police had arrested Jiah's boyfriend Sooraj for a week after her death. He was released on July 2 after the Bombay High Court granted him bail.

India's prestigious mission to Mars was successfully launched on November 5, 2013 at 2:36pm from Sriharikota. Called the Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM), an advance version of the highly-proven, four-stage Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle, called the PSLV-XL, will be the rocket used in this Rs 450-crore mission

India's prestigious mission to Mars was successfully launched on November 5, 2013 at 2:36pm from Sriharikota. Called the Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM), an advance version of the highly-proven, four-stage Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle, called the PSLV-XL, will be the rocket used in this Rs 450-crore mission,

India's prestigious mission to Mars was successfully launched on November 5, 2013 at 2:36pm from Sriharikota. Called the Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM), an advance version of the highly-proven, four-stage Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle, called the PSLV-XL, will be the rocket used in this Rs 450-crore mission,

BJP stalwart L K Advani dug in his heels when he refused to drop his opposition to Narendra Modi as the party's prime ministerial nominee, leaving party president Rajnath Singh with little choice but to push on regardless of the veteran's objections. This undoubtedly created buzz over Modi's appointment and show up BJP as a divided house

BJP stalwart LK Advani dug in his heels when he refused to drop his opposition to Narendra Modi as the party's prime ministerial nominee, leaving party president Rajnath Singh with little choice but to push on regardless of the veteran's objections. This undoubtedly created buzz over Modi's appointment and show up BJP as a divided house. ()

BJP stalwart LK Advani dug in his heels when he refused to drop his opposition to Narendra Modi as the party's prime ministerial nominee, leaving party president Rajnath Singh with little choice but to push on regardless of the veteran's objections. This undoubtedly created buzz over Modi's appointment and show up BJP as a divided house.

South African anti-apartheid hero Nelson Mandela died aged 95 at his Johannesburg home after a prolonged lung infection, plunging his nation and the world into mourning for a man hailed by global leaders as a moral giant

South African anti-apartheid hero Nelson Mandela died aged 95 at his Johannesburg home after a prolonged lung infection, plunging his nation and the world into mourning for a man hailed by global leaders as a moral giant.

South African anti-apartheid hero Nelson Mandela died aged 95 at his Johannesburg home after a prolonged lung infection, plunging his nation and the world into mourning for a man hailed by global leaders as a moral giant.

Monsoon rain and unprecedented flash floods continued to spell death and destruction in Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh, claiming over 80 lives and leaving over 70,000 pilgrims for Himalayan shrines stranded. The famous hill shrine of Kedarnath in Rudraprayag district of Uttarakhand bore the brunt of torrential rain and was covered in mud and slush. About 500 people, including several pilgrims, are said to missing in the area, according to top government sources.

Monsoon rain and unprecedented flash floods continued to spell death and destruction in Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh, claiming over 80 lives and leaving over 70,000 pilgrims for Himalayan shrines stranded. The famous hill shrine of Kedarnath in Rudraprayag district of Uttarakhand bore the brunt of torrential rain and was covered in mud and slush. About 500 people, including several pilgrims, are said to missing in the area, according to top government sources.

Monsoon rain and unprecedented flash floods continued to spell death and destruction in Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh, claiming over 80 lives and leaving over 70,000 pilgrims for Himalayan shrines stranded. The famous hill shrine of Kedarnath in Rudraprayag district of Uttarakhand bore the brunt of torrential rain and was covered in mud and slush. About 500 people, including several pilgrims, are said to missing in the area, according to top government sources.